Improvement in piano-forte action



A. W. PERRY, or sT.

JGSEPH, MISSOURI.

Letters Patent No. 97,686, dated December 7, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-PORTE ACTION;

`The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known 'that I', A. W. PERRY, of St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan, and State ol Missouri, have-iuventeda new and improved Piano-Action, and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speeitication, in which- Figure 1 is a side view, representing the position of the several parts, just as the hammer is dropping from the lip`of the back-catch, and

Figure 2 is a similar view, representing the position of the parts at the instant that the hammer touches the string. I l

The object of this invention is to so construct and arrange the several parts composing the action, that in playing passages where the same note is repeated with great rapidity, the whole passage can be played so as to bring out the individual notes with the utmost distinctness, delicacy, and perfection ot' tone, by an exceedingly slight and rapid depression ofthe key.

To this end, the action is so constructed asto return the movement to position fora repeating blow -before the key-lever returns t,its cushion. At the same time the use of the hammerlrail is avoided, and the weight of tl1e hammer, stem, and their appendages, is made to bear absolutely upon' the key1ever, at all times, and in every position.

The combinations that eliect this result are simple in construction, certain of operation, capable of heilig adjusted and regulated with the utmost nicety, andy not liable to derangemcnt or injury from the careless or improper use of the instrument.

In the drawings- A is the key-lever, pivoted at a, so that the inner end will slightly overbalance the outer, and provided with the usual cushions c* B is afulcrum, supported in a gain, on the' upper side of the key-lever, near its inner end, and capable of being adjusted longitudinally upon its supportinglever by means ol' a set-screw or other suitable appliance.' A

O is an oscillating level', pivoted atits centre upon the fulcrum B, so that when rocked, its ends will drop upon cushions c c, attached to the upper side ol' the key-lever.

Dis the baclccatch, attached, by a stom, d, to the rear end of lever C, and formed as reprcsented'in the drawing, being provided with a cushion, e, and a nearly horizontal lip, c, ou its liont side, at right :mgles with the cushion.4

.clisthe but of lever C, upon which the foot of Athe jack operates during a.portion ol' the movement,

it being slightly bevelled or rounded, and covered with leather, to allow said foot to pass on to and oli` from it without catching, and with easy, readyvaction.

E is the stationary but, attached to. the upper side' ot' the key-lever by means of screws i i, and resting ou a Fulcrum, i', so that by adjusting the screws it can be lixed in the proper position with relation to the lever-but, its inner end being also rounded oil' on the upper edges, and covered with leather, for the purpose,. .c

above described, in connection with the but c.

I is the hammer.

G, the hammer-stem, articulated at g to the Hauch H, supported by the Hauch-rail I.'

J is the jack, articulated at j to the hammer-stem, near the tlanch, and when the hammer is ingcontact with the string K, hanging vertically, with its lower end resting upon both C and E, as shown in lig. 2.

L is an arm, projecting at right angles from the front side of the jack, and extending under theanchrail.

l is a vertically-adjustable cushion, attached to the under side of the flanch-xail, for the arm L toact against, and, as itis adjusted higher or lower,ca,pa1 ble of limiting and controlling the movement of the arm L and the jack.

fm. is a cushioned stop, supported by a rail, M, arid vertically adjustable, for the purpose of limiting the movement of lever C.

u, a cushioned stop, supported by a post attached to but E, and horizontally adjustable, its function being to limit and' control the movement of the jack, as will be clearly understood from the drawings', and

Y S, a spiral spring, connecting the ilanch and front vside of the jack, for the purpose of drawing the latter forward against stop n, as hereinafter described.

The action of the several parts above specified is as follows:

The key-lever, when notin use, rests upon fulcrum a and cushion ai, the lower end of the hammer being nearly down to the lever C, the latter resting upon the points B c, the jack resting upon the but E, and against stop u, as shown iniiv. 1, and the arm L being separated from stop l, as shown in the same ligure.

If, now, the key be depressed so as to throw the hammer against the string, lever C will, at the instant that the string is touched, be brought in contact with stop on., and its but c2 depressed below the edge of but E, so that the jack can step over upon it, while the arm L will strike stop l and Athrow the foot of the jack oil' of but E upon but c'".

The lower end of the hammer will then drop back upon the cushion e, and slide over the 'lip el, until,.as the lreydever returns toward its original position, the parts C E reach the relative positions shown `in lig. 2, when the foot ofthe jack will be drawn forward upon but E by the combined operation of butezw and spring S, relieving lever C, and the weight oi the back-catch will throw lever O into the position shown in fig. 1, and allow the hammer to drop to its original position, above described. lVhen in this position, the but c2 projects above the lower end of the jack, serving to confine the latter upon the end of but E until the key is again depressed.

It is evident at a glance that the moment the foot of the jack has returned to the position shown in iig. 2, so that it partially rests on the fixed but E, all the parts being in the positions shown in fig. 2, the hammer not having fallen beyond the edge ot lip c, and the key-lever nottouching either cushion c c, the slightest depression of the key will instantly raise the jack-again. and strike the hammer against the string, and that this process may be repeated as often as .may

be desired, and as rapidly as the hammer, by the force of its weight, assisted by the action of spring S and arm L, can be thrown down from the string to the lip of the back-catch, or, in other words, so rapidly that the' ear will hardly be able to distinguish between the A sounds produced, however distinct and perfect each sound may be.

Should the action work at any time imperfectly, it can be readily adjusted, in every respect, by a turn ot' the regulating-screws which support the several parts E, C, u, l, m.

By removing the screws lr lr, and -detacliing the laneh from the rail, the hammer, stem, jack, and arm L, are separated from the instrument and may be removed together. 'lbe key-lever, with the parts E, C,

- D, which it supports, may then be ,removed by lifting it from its fulcrnm.

It will be observed, that by arranging the spring S inthe position shown-and described, its tension will be least at the instant that the arm -L is in contact with stop Z, at which point the action of the spring is to be overcome, and is greatest at the moment that the foot of the jack is about to pass "from lever C to but E, when the fnll power of the spring is needed.

It willalso be observed, that as the foot of the jack slides ol'f of' but E upon the lever C, its weight will depress the but of the latter, and raise the back-catch to -meet the descending hammer. The latter will fall back upon the inclined cushion, striking it at an acute angle, so as to produce no jar or shock, and sliding quicklyT and easily over lip e.

Having thus described my invention,

lVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure ters Patent, is-

l. The combination of back-catch, havinglip el, with lever C, pivotcd, near its centre, upon the adjustable fulcrum B, and operating, in connectionwth'stop m -or fixed but ll, substantially as and for the purposes specified. A

2. lhe spring S, when applied between the .anch and Hauch-rail and the front side of a jack articulated at the stem Gr at j, Vsubstantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The armLattached to the jack J, and operating in connection with stop Z, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The adjustable stopl n, supported by a post 'attached to the but E, or key-lever, and operating' in connection with the jack, substantially as and for the purposes indicated.-

To the above specilication of my invention,I have signed my hand, this 24th day of April, 1869.

A. W. PERRY.

by Let- Witnesses:

GHAs. A. PETTIT, S. C. KEMoN. 

